That we’ll have a new winner after Anna Kiesenhofer’s victory in Tokyo 2021 seems certain. The Austrian won in Japan due to a huge mistake by TeamNL, who were unaware that there was still one early breakaway rider ahead. Annemiek van Vleuten did finish second, but she was more than a minute behind the surprising unknown who took the gold. Kiesenhofer will defend her title on Sunday, but normally a different rider will be on the top step in Paris.
World champion Kopecky is clearly the standout name. The Belgian finished fourth in 2021 but has made significant strides since then. This led to her winning the world title in Glasgow in 2023, and she also finished second in the Tour de France Femmes in 2023 and recently narrowly second behind Elisa Longo Borghini in the Giro Donne. She also won the Tour of Flanders in 2022 and 2023, and has previously triumphed in Strade Bianche. The classic parcours in Paris seems perfect for this all-rounder.
